Starcraft: Old Friends, Partings, and Meetings
by Slade1987
Summary: After escaping the Dominion, James Raynor parts with his longtime friend and commander. Years later, he finds his one time leader and asks him to rejoin the fight against the Dominion.


Raynor stormed into the bay and looked around at the gathered armor. Siege tanks and Goliath walkers stood to either side of the compartment with their crews going over them, ensuring they were ready for war. Raynor didn't care about any of them though, there was one walker in particular he was looking for.

He spied the blue red and black paint scheme with the hydralist mandibles painted on its cockpit and walked towards it.

The hangar smelt of oil and paint, the smells of the machines of war were inescapable which only served to make the pending conversation more grating.

"John!" he barked as he spied the walker's pilot at the maintenance console.

The former Magistrate of Mar Sara didn't turn to look at him as he calibrated his walker's systems.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Raynor shouted.

Johnathan Marcos turned to look at Raynor, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Jim, what can I do for you?"

"You know damned well what you can do for me. What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting ready to go home." Marcos replied. "I thought that was obvious."

"You're going to abandon us?" Raynor snapped. "After everything we've been through?" he gestured to warmachines around them. "Just going to turn your back on it all?"

"We lost Jim." Marcos said. "My people, _our _people, are tired. They don't want to keep fighting, keep getting betrayed. It's time for us to lead them home."

"I'm not done yet." Raynor growled. "Mengsk has to pay."

Marcos' eyes narrowed. "Revenge isn't why we escaped Jim."

"Then what?" Raynor snarled. "Why did you come with me? Why didn't you just stay with that snake?"

"Because our people deserve better than that monster." Marcos replied. "I know you hate him for what he did to Kerrigan."

"Don't say her name." Raynor barked.

"Kerrigan." Marcos said, his eyes narrowing. "Sarah, Kerriga—"

Raynor's fist connected with Marcos' jaw. The former Magistrate turned soldier and general staggered under the blow, tottering for a moment before he picked himself up and stared at Raynor icily.

"J—John," Raynor began. "I—I'm so—"

"Save it Jim." Marcos said coldly. "We're done here. I'm taking our people back to Mar Sara. End of discussion."

"But the zerg will be waiting for you!"

"The protoss annihilated the zerg, we can handle what's left."

"And when the Dominion comes for you?" Raynor pressed. "What then?"

"We'll fight." his friend replied.

"You'll lose."

"We've already lost, but we'll fight nevertheless." he patted the leg of his Goliath. "We've been fighting losing battles since this all started."

"I—there's nothing I can say is there?" Raynor said helplessly.

"No." Marcos replied. "We're tired Raynor...and I'm not willing to go chasing ghosts with you."

Raynor winced. "You heard about that?"

"Yes, your nightmares."

"They're visions, not dreams."

"She's gone Jim, the zerg have either infested her, or killed her."

"I don't believe that, she's calling to me, I know she is."

Marcos sighed. "You're free to do what you want, and I won't stop anyone from staying with you...but I have a responsibility to our people...we'll take the transports back to Mar Sara, and you can take the Hyperion to whatever hell your dreams are calling you towards...but I will not stand with you whenever you find what you're chasing."

"I guess this is goodbye then." Raynor said.

"So it would seem." Marcos held out his hand. "Good luck my friend."

"You too...I'll stop by when all this is over, see how you're doing."

* * *

Raynor stepped into the Dominion jailhouse, looking around the battered building's lobby. He strode towards the sealed door at the back and gripped the handle. His powered armor's fist wrenched the door off its hinges. He walked down the closed cells until he found the one he was looking for. He opened the viewport and looked inside. There he was. Damn he looked like shit. Pulling the door open, he stepped inside.

Marcos looked up at him, his expression defiant. "Come to finish me off?"

"No." Raynor said, lifting his faceplate. "Came to see if you've got any fight left in you."

Marcos' eyes widened. "Jim? James Raynor?"

"Hey buddy, how you doing?"

Marcos shook his head, a smile spreading across his haggard features as he stood up.

"A lot better suddenly. I'd heard you were around here somewhere."

"Yeah well, took me a while to get things ready for the party."

Marcos snorted. "Dominion taken care of I take it?"

"Damn straight, wiped them out." Raynor said proudly. "We're taking back Mar Sara."

The one time magistrate and commander nodded. "Count me in, I've been sitting on my ass for months now just waiting to die."

"I thought you might say that." Raynor said. "Found an old friend of yours too."

Marcos' eyes lit up. "My walker?"

Raynor nodded. "She's all ready to go."

"Hell yeah, just point me at the Dominion troops and I'll blow them away."

Raynor chuckled and put his massive armored hand on his one time boss' shoulder.

"Welcome back John, good to have you with us again."

AN: Just something I thought up of to explain what happens to the Magistate/Commander from the original Terran campaign in Starcraft. Basically after escaping from the newly formed Dominion, he leads his people (those that don't want to stay with Raynor and pursue what is honestly a mad quest) back to Mar Sara to live in peace. Years later, when Raynor liberates Mar Sara, he finds his old friend in jail. I was always partial to the Goliath (and Wraith) so in my personal story, I always gave the Magistrate/Commander his own Goliath walker.


End file.
